For the past several months, the MTA of New York City has been under serious financial strain, as a result of a continued decline in ridership. Now in severe debt, the MTA is in the midst of talks of potential service cuts, hoping to dig itself out of a hole that seems far too deep. While talks of the MTA’s debt and its consequences have only recently started to really heat up, they were foreshadowed as early as three years ago. Public documents were released in July, 2016, stating the MTA’s budget and possible outlooks for the future. The document said that the financial plan is balanced through 2019 with…
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OP-ED: Difficulties of mass transit in New York
Taking the bus or the subway can be a stressful event for many New Yorkers. New Yorkers are continually upset with the state of the Mass Transit Authority (MTA) and want improvements to make traveling hassle-free. However, these improvements come with a price. The MTA has been raising fares to help pay off its debt instead of using money to improve the subway system. It is also still using signals and rails from the 1930s that are presently outdated. This makes it difficult to make any timely repairs without service cuts and reroutes for certain trains. As for MTA buses, congestion on roads often lead to buses driving at walking…
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Proposed Senate bill offers discounted MetroCards
The wallets of college students may become fatter because of a bill introduced by Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. The University Transit Rider Innovation Program offers a 25 percent discount to college students across the nation. This includes MetroCards for CUNY students. “The point of this legislation is to give college students some relief, because so many are working so hard to pay tuition and are also taking on large amounts of debt to get by, while at the same time working to ensure cash-strapped transit agencies like the MTA don’t have to shoulder the burden,” Schumer said. The bill is only a proposal and Congress is expected to deal with federal…
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MTA increases fare despite public outcry
The MTA increased subway and bus fares by a quarter on March 22, making the per-ride cost rise to $2.75. The Queens College campus, located in one of the most diverse boroughs of New York, is a well-known commuter school where thousands of students rely on the MTA for transportation. Students, in general, were unhappy about the fare increase. “I’m mad about it. I don’t have enough money to pay that much for a MetroCard. I barely make $300 in two weeks and I have so many other expenses.” Malala Khan, a sophomore, said. QC student Krislee Acevedo was also frustrated by the increase. “I hate it and I buy weekly tickets because that’s what…
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Warnings of a Sandy-like catastrophe did not motivate MTA to prevent significant damage to city infrastructure
Evidence of a Hurricane Sandy-like disaster was presented to the MTA as far back as 2007, according to reports by groups and climate scientists. While Queens College students are still coping with the destruction by the hurricane in terms of housing and transportation, such a disaster could have prevented. The MTA, however, did not act upon the advice or warnings made by these individuals and groups. As New Yorkers felt frustrated by the delay with trains and buses, it seems much of the damage could have been minimal based on the reports and testimonies provided by the Blue Ribbon Commission. As MTA workers have gone 11 months without a contract,…
